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Izzy, Teixeira share weekly NL honors

Izzy shares weekly NL honors

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By C.J. Moore
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MLB.com |

About the only guy who could hit Cardinals closer Jason Isringhausen last week was Mark Teixeira.

Isringhausen made five appearances and pitched six innings last week, giving up only two hits. Teixeira had one of those hits -- a single -- to go along with his 11 other hits for the week. So it was only fitting that Isringhausen and Teixeira were named the National League co-Players of the Week for August 20-26.

Isringhausen closed all five of the Cardinals' victories last week, including his 200th save in a Cardinals uniform Sunday in St. Louis.

"Two hundred is a good number," he said. "It just means I've been here for a while."

Isringhausen, the Cards' all-time leader in saves, has been with the team for six seasons now, but this year has been arguably his best. He pitched a scoreless May and has converted 27 of 29 saves with a 1.50 ERA.

Isringhausen started the season on a mission after missing the Cardinals' playoff run to a World Series last year after undergoing a season-ending left hip surgery. Before the surgery, Isringhausen had blown a career-high 10 saves.

"A lot of people were down on him last year, but Izzy was playing through some things that most people wouldn't even be able to walk on," Sunday's winning pitcher Adam Wainwright said. "He has more pain tolerance than anybody could ever imagine.

"He's one of the best in the game, without a doubt. We all know that, and we are supremely confident when he goes on the mound at the end of a game."

Teixeira has left his teammates supremely confident when he's at the plate since the Braves acquired the switch-hitting first baseman before the trade deadline from the Rangers.

Teixeira has hit .312 with 10 homers and 30 RBIs in his 24 games with the Braves thus far. Last week, he hit .414 (12-for-29) with two doubles, three homers, 11 RBIs and he scored eight runs.

Teixeira started his week with the flu, but that's when he was at his best. He slugged two three-run homers Monday -- his second straight game with two homers -- in a 14-4 victory over the Reds. He finished 3-for-4, adding a double to go along with his six RBIs.

"When you [play with the flu], for some reason you get more focused, because you know you can't do everything you're used to doing," Teixeira said. "You're slower and your body hurts a little bit. So you focus and you're going to have nights like this."

Teixeira got over the flu but continued his hot streak last week. He recorded a hit in all seven games, including three more multi-hit games.

C.J. Moore is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.